Combined coupling and valved outlet



April 21, 1925. 153M106 J. A. MARTOCELLO COMBINED COUPLING AND VALVED OUTLET Filed Dec. 5, 1921 1 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Apr. 21, 1925.

o w rren STA-res JDSEPHHA. ll'IARTOQELLO, OE PHILADF-LEIEIIA, PENN$YLVANIA.

. i COMBINED COUPLING Application filed December [0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I," Josnrn A. ll Lnrro- CELLO, a. citizen of the United States, residing at Philadelphia, l ennsylmnia, in the county. of Philadelp-liia. and State Pennsylvania, have invented a certain new andusetul Combined Conplingand Valved ()utleuot which the tollowing isa specie fication.

My invention relates to outlets for the air connections to ice cans from the air laterals of: ice freezing systen'is.

The main purpose of my ii'ivcntion to combine an air. lateral coupling with a valved outlet soas to obtain closerconnection and better. protection of the outlet and valve.

A further purpose is to make-the valved'out let from an airlateral more compact. and at the same time to sin'iplity and cheapen it.

Aturther purpose is to provide a tour Way outlet for "the air lateral, distributing from each connection UltO four vans, and

thus increasing thev service from each connection.

A turtherupurpose is to improve the.

bracket support for an air pipe.

A. further purpose is to support the connection which receives the terminal from the flexible pipe directly fromithe air pipe, as distinguished from supporting both from the bracket.

A further purpose is to combine a connection the terminal 01' the flexible air pipe, and an inlet fora steanineedle in a single structure.

Further purposes. will appear in thespecification and in the chums.

I have prcte-rredto illustrate my invention by one form only among the various forms in which 1t may appear, selecting a form which iswpractical highlyhellicient, compact and JliGXPOllSiVG, and which at the same time Figure is a top plan fiew of a four-way AND VALVED OUTLET.

3,1921. Serial No. 519,597.

form of iuy invention upon a smaller scale than in Figures 14l-. Figures 6 and 7 are sections .upon lines 6 6 of Figure 5. and .77 of Figure 6, respectively,

Figure 8 is a fragmentary top plan'view of an installation to which my four-way valve is applied.

Figure 9 is a section upon line. 99 of Figure 8. I

ln the drawings similar numerals indi-. cuts like parts. I

In the valved connection of air pipes with air laterals, compactness, from the standtions, and it is. also desirable that allcut-" oft valves be located at the tapp ng point, as distinguished from some other point.

along the path trom the lateral to the air pipe within the ice can.

I have aimed to secure strength compaetness and reliability in a structure embody ing one or more outlets and valves capable useto control, to cut oil or for both purposes, and at the same time to reduce the number oftapping points, where desired.

l lxplaining tlie construction shown in dcscription and not in limitation r Tlieair lateral 10 passesbetwcena Hull} ber of ice making cansll, as usual and is tapped to supply air to pipes 152 in these cans. but two outlet connections 13 are shown from each tapping point,iwhereas inthe,

form shown in Figures 5'-8,"tour such outlets tor hose connection are provided.

lneach case the lateral is tapped by interplacing a coupling 1st, threaded at. each end, between facing threaded ends 15 of sections of pipe 10 making up the lateral. T he coupling is provided with a lateral air passage 16, upwardly extending in the illustration, with which communicate oppositely extending ,inlet passages 17, two in number and o Jnosite 1n lliw'ures 2-4 and four ln I 1 b p 7 In the torm shown. in Figures l- -l number at quadrants in the form shown in Figures 5*8.

These passages 17 connect with tapered valve openings or seats 18, which in Figures 1- l are two in number and have parallel axes, and in Figures 5-S are four in number, comprising two pairs at right angles to each other, the two of each pair having parallel axes.

These passages 17, are considered inlet passages because they lie on the inlet sides of the valves. They are preferably in line in each pair with blow-out passages 19, two in number in the one form and tour in number in the other, to correspond with the number and position of the inlet passages 17.

Each of the outlets 13 for hose connection is pierced by an outlet passage 20, which terminates at each valve opening in the illustration nearer to the connection of the outlet passage 19 with the valve opening than to the connection of the inlet passage therewith, in order to co-operate with the plug valve 21 shown, so that the plug valve may aliiord a nice adjustment of the quan tity of air passing through the valve, act as a trap for dust and dirt carried by the air, and turn from the position selected for graduated air passage to a blow-out full opening for discharge of the dust and dirt to the atmosphere without further air opening to the outlet but with an intermediate position in which the valve is wholly closed.

This valve plug construction includes a through passage 22, which in blow-out positions will connect the inlet passage 17 of the valve with the blow-out passage 19, and a branch passage 23 from this through passage, which connects with the circumference of the plug at a point preferably nearer to one end of the through passage than to the other end of this passage.

Because I desire to insert the plugs having parallel axes from opposite directions the two plugs of each pair are shown in the sectional Figures 1 and 6 as opposite counterparts though in tact identical; and the opposite direction of extension of the terminals 13, and of all of the inlet and blowout passages makes these parts of my construction in the sectional views also appear as opposite counterparts. However, considcred as separate units, each of these valves considered in conjunction with its inlet, outlet and blow-out passages is identical with each other.

The valve structure herein shown, along with the inlet, outlet and blow-out passages and combinations are described and claimed. by me in an application for valve for air supply to ice cans, filed October 24:, 1921, Serial Number 509,89et, in which its operation is described at greater length, but in which there are two such valves only for each air lateral connection. These two outlets t'eed two cans, as contrasted with four valves, arranged as two pairs of valves, feeding four cans as shown in Figures 5-8.

To complete the description I will state briefly that the valve plugs shown in Figures l and (S are shown in the position to which they have been opened to feed a desired quantity of air into the individual. cans, the quantity of air ted being increased by turning the plugs at the left in clockwise direction and those at right in counterclockwise direction in the illustration; rcmenibering, however, that in each case the actual direction of turnin; from the end to which the wrench is app ied would be the same. in the positions shown any dust or dirt carried by the air will tall to the bottom of the through. passage, being assisted in this by the enlarged cross-section of the plug passages as compared with the restricted opening through which the air passes -trom the inlet passage to the plug and from the plug to the outlet passage, giving a relatively low speed o't air flow through the plug.

(Jounter-clochwise movement of the plugs at the left and clockwise movei'nont of the plugs at the right result in reducing and finally cutti oil the flow of air and, it continued, bring the through passages in line with the inlet and blow-out passages, respectively, in each valve for blow-out purposes.

The location of the inletpassages in line with each drilling of these passages at one operation and, with these tor the two valve structures of a pair in line, permits drilling of the two inlets and two blow-out passages at one operation if desired; though this would ordinarily not be done because of the accentuation of any error in settin It will be evident that my four-way ture could be applied not only to valves combining with coupling for their air connection with the air lateral, but to valve structures having a hollow stem adapted for insertion within the lateral or for connection therewith and in which hollow of the stem corresponds to the passage 16, using the valves either above or below the lateral as explained in my said application.

In the valve structures shown, the plug is turned by connection of a wrench with a and blowout other permits non-circular plug terminal 2%. which toi-- minal is preferably oi irregular cross section so that the wrench may engage with the end or? the plug in one position enabling the operator to judge of the placing of the valve parts within the plug by the direction of extension of the wrench handle. cylindrical end flattened at one side at is shown as one form of this.

The valve plugs are held in place conventionally by washers 26 and screws 27 located .at the smaller ends of the plugs. Where terior length of the structure at this point for a transverse strengthening andstifi'en ing; rib 29 about and above the sidewalls 30, 31 of whatunay be termed the valve body 32 of my combinedcoupling and valved outlet. The stiffening rib 29 need notbe car ried about the coupling; The rib is shown as flared at the top at 33 to about the width of the coupling.

A. longitudinal stiffening which is given great-er width at the ends at 35. The ends of the coupling are strengthened at 36 as is usual.

T he body of the valve portion of my combination ncednot be wider than the normal length of the plug valves givingjust enough metal between the sides and 31 and the passage 16 to insure strength and avoid leakage.

In the form shown in Figures ---8 the valve body comprises two portions each similar to the one shown in Figures 1-4 but at right angles to each other, toreceive the two pairs of valve plugs and to provide for the tw-ohp-airs of oppositely facing outlets at right angles to each other. In each valve pair the plugs require a little more spacing than in the single-pair form because more air is to be handled, requiring a larger passage 16 and the intervention of a transversely disposed body for the other pair requires additional room.

Though I have shown the valved outlet portion of the combination as above the coupling and the great strength of my combination makes it possible'to locate the outlet above the lateral with much greater safety than in the case of outlets which are merely tapped into the air lateral and the upper position is more convenient one for connection of the flexible pipes leading to the ice cans, it will be evident that the coupling and outlets could be reversed in position, preferably with reversal of the valve plug relations as in the form shown in my above mentioned application where the valve lies below the lateral, and I wish to be understood as providing for either construction. For a like reason, where it is not desired to use gravity in the plug for the purpose of trapping dust and dirt within the valve, to be blown out subsequently, the valve struo ture could be located at either side of the lateral.

It will be obvious that the particular structure of the valve and the character rib 3a is shown of strengtheningribs, etc., provided is not material to the broader aspects ofmy inven tion herein but that the couplingand valved. outlets or the four-way outlet from-a single tap, witlr or without the combination: of

the coupling may be used with other forms of valve and other detail of the structure to practice my invention in wholeor in part.

In F igures Band SI show a. convenient bracket 3'1" comprising a hook member- 38.

preferably bearing on'the inside at the bottom 39 only and relieved at the out-side, as at 40 to provide for easy removal with very slight lifting of. the bracket. In. order to reduce the danger of freezing against. the

inside of the can I hollow out the lower part at the contact 39 so as to have the actual contact alongwone or more edges 4-1 only. The bracket is intended to engage an edge of the can and to be placed at any desired position along the side or end. Obviously it is suited for vertically or diagonally placed pipes 12 according to the construction of the holding mechanism used. I have shownit as applied in holdingvcrticalpipes and have adapted the pipe to pass through the bracket sufficiently so thatthe fittingdQ is supported from the pipe and its air tight engagement. for through passage of the air to the can is in no way affected by the structure of the ln-aclret, A convenient way of holding the pipe in the bracket and allowing it to pass through the bracket is shown in the threads 43 by which it may be supported with any desired amount of extension above the bracket.

The fitting 42 cooperates with the tapered terminal nozzle 44 carried by the hose 45 and forms a metallic seal fo this nozzle at the same time that it is adapted to receive the steam needle for releasing the pipe from the ice of the can. I thus simplify the construction considerably by using but one fitting for both these purposes, obtain a metallic fit and seal and free the air seal between the nozzle and the pipe from all complication of bracket structure. The nozzle could pass through the fitting into the pipe if desired.

I purpose including herein all such changes as may be made by others skilled in the art in view of my disclosure herein and which are reasonably within the scope of my invention;

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is: y a

1. A combined coupling and valved outlet comprising a coupling threaded for pipe ongagement and providing a passage opening laterally therefrom and having tapered valve seats in communication with the passage on opposite sides thereof, with parallel axes and having the taper facing in different directions, in combination with independent apered plug valves therefor, operated from difierent sides and hollow terminals for hose connection having their axes parallel with that of the coupling and brought in communication with the passages by the respective valves.

2. A combined coupling and valved outlet comprising a coupling threaded for pipe engagement and providing a passage opening laterally therefrom and having tapered valve seats in communication with the passage on opposite sides thereof, with parallel axes and having the taper facing in dillerent directions, in combination with independent tapered plug valves therefor, operated from different sides and hollow terminals for hose connection brought in communication with the passages by the respective valves, the outlet being provided with blow oll' passages for the several valves.

3. A combined coupling and valved outlet comprising a coupling threaded for pipe engagement and providing a passage opening laterally therefrom and having tapered valve seats in communication with the passage on opposite sides thereof, with parallel axes and having the taper facing in ditlercnt directions, in combination with independent tapered plug valves therefor, operated from different sides and hollow terminals for hoseconnection brought in communication with the passages by the respective valves, he outlet being provided with blow oil passages for the several valves, in line with each other and with the communication between the lateral passage and the -valve seats.

4. A valved coupling and outlet, comprising a coupling having coaxial threaded openings, one at each end to receive pipe sections and having a lateral passage, in combination with apair of valves connected with said passage and having oppositely extending outlets from said valves parallel with the axis of the threaded connecti us.

5. A combined coupling and valved outlet, comprising a coupling having coaxial threaded openings for connection with oppositely extending pipe sections, and a lateral passage, in combination with a pair ol valves s )aced in the direction of the lens th of the pipe and connected with said. passage, outlets from said valves and blow-out connections from said valves in line with the connections of said valves with said passage.

(3. A coupling and valved outlet, comprising a coupling fitted to unite pipe sections, a common lateral passage supplied from the pipe sections, a pair of oppositely lacing outlets and oppositely facing valves for the outlets operated from opposite sides oi the coupling and controlling flow of fluid from the common passage to the respective outlets, the valves having connections with the lateral passage and blow-off passages in line.

JOSEPH A. MARTOCELLO. 

